COUNTY councillors have questioned if it is against Government guidelines to axe two South Cheshire schools.
Proposals to close Buerton Primary are being backed by the council, but the authority is to think again about closing St Oswald's Worleston CE Primary and Lodgefields Community Primary in Crewe.
The county council's school planning select panel has recommended that its executive authorises a formal notification for the closure of Buerton Primary on Tuesday.
If the full council accepts the findings it will set a date for Buerton to close in summer, 2007, although parents will be able to register objections over the following six weeks.
Despite that, the panel has requested clarification on issues surrounding the proposed axing
of Worleston and Lodgefields before making a decision.
It is to check Audit Commission guidelines on what action local authorities can take on surplus places at small schools and take a look at the potential for housing development in the village.
The authority is also to identify what would happen to the school building and grounds in the event of closure.
Parent Hazel Dockery, who has two children at Worleston, said: 'We have won a stay of execution so we are very pleased. It shows councillors are questioning the information
given to them by officers.
'We will continue to send out letters to councillors to outline our case.'
Parents at Worleston say their school is performing well and has only 15 surplus places, fewer than the 30-place maximum limit the Audit Commission safeguards.
With an estimated 3,000 Polish workers now in Crewe, the potential impact on Lodge-fields is being assessed and the council is considering reductions in admission numbers at other schools .
Clarification is also being sought regarding the closure of the private pre-school provision at Lodgefields in autumn 2005.
